It 's only as I 'm inviting my friend to lunch that I realize the prospect might not sound that appetizing .

`` There will be a murder , '' I say . `` Someone will die . ''

Surprisingly undeterred , he agrees to meet me at London 's Victoria Station the following week and it 's only once we 're standing on the platform amid a rapidly swelling crowd that he starts to look a little worried , nervously asking : `` Who are all these people ? ''

We 're being joined by a diverse crowd on our lunch date , which is probably only to be expected since we 're booked in for an afternoon of fine dining with an extra helping of homicide .

That 's the menu on board the Murder Mystery Lunch train , a luxury rail ride around the English countryside that pitches passengers into a cloak and dagger world worthy of Agatha Christie -- but with greater quantities of champagne .

Many of our fellow diners -- some celebrating anniversaries or birthdays -- are entering into the spirit , dressed in 1920s flapper dresses , gangster suits or as extras from `` Downton Abbey . ''

It 's hard to say whether the passing commuters are doing double takes at this oddly attired throng or at the train : the magnificent Belmond British Pullman .

Golden age of travel

This king of the railroad is -- appropriately for a trip that 'll involve murder -- a sister to the Orient Express and its 11 gleaming carriages that channel the spirit of a golden age of travel .

Amid this eccentric crowd , a portly gentleman dressed all in gray stands out more than others .

The double-breasted suit , the hair , the hat are gray . As is the cat cradled in his arms which , he tells us with a perfectly straight face , is called Pussy .

`` Pussy is n't real , you do realize that ? '' says Mr. Gray as I tickle his stuffed feline under its chin .

Mr. Gray is the first of a string of actors we meet , each stopping by like an old pal for a chat , exchanging cheeky repartee and dropping clues .

Before we can meet any more of the cast , we 're shepherded on to our carriage .

It has plenty of dark wood , polished brass , art deco finishing and plush armchairs .

On the table , between the silverware and crystal-cut wine glasses , is a sheet of paper -- one side is printed with an incomprehensible set of clues , the other is blank for us to take notes .

There 's also a section for us to name the suspect and their motive .

After all , this afternoon is n't just about getting tipsy before sundown -- there 's a murder to solve .

We do n't have to wait long for the killer to strike .

The train has barely left Victoria Station when a woman stumbles into our carriage and declares , `` I 've been stabbed ! ''

` Do n't panic ! '

She screams , flails about and then staggers out the carriage , giving us a good view of the dagger sticking out of her blood-splattered back .

We have our victim .

The stabbed woman 's cries can still be heard as a dashing young man called Matt storms into the carriage , shoves a gun in my face and shouts : `` There 's been a murder . Do n't panic ! ''

It 's hard not to laugh .

At times the acting is as hammy as a deli counter .

There are , however , more somber moments along the journey when we get to question characters , including a detective , a newspaper reporter and the head of British intelligence agency MI5 , about what 's going on .

The champagne makes it easy to slip into this whodunit on wheels .

Bubbles before noon always feels decadent , but the added buzz from the mix of murder , mystery and a 170-mile journey quickly goes to the head .

`` Do n't bother looking out the window , it 's the same view as on the cheap train , '' quips the train manager as he passes through the carriage making polite conversation .

We mistake him for one of the cast and begin grilling him on the murder before realizing that he is in fact the real train manager .

Despite what he says , it 's worth taking in the view as the train rolls through the county of Kent , a rural corner southeast of London known as the garden of England because its rolling landscape of farms and coastline has long supplied some of the country 's best crops .

Back in the carriages , lunch arrives and the waiting staff appear to be in on the game , making quips about the suspects without letting anything slip .

Life-changing event

The five-course meal that began with murder finishes with a cheese platter .

By now everyone is putting forward their theories , some wilder than others , in the hope of winning a take-home bottle of champagne .

An enthusiastic young American comes up with an elaborate theory involving a tin of paint that surprises the world-weary detective .

`` I 've been doing this six years and I 've never heard that one , '' he remarks .

An older honeymooning couple , both on their third marriage , have conflicting suspicions .

She thinks it 's Mr. Gray 's daughter , he suspects the head of MI5 , but each group can only nominate one suspect .

He backs down and goes with her suggestion -- a man with the wisdom of two marriages behind him .

By the time train slips back into Victoria Station everyone is swaying slightly as though disembarking from a boat .

The young American wins the champagne -- nothing to do with paint -- and farewells are said as though we 'd shared a life-changing event .

And we had : we dined , we drank and someone died .

The next Murder Mystery Lunches on the British Pullman are on October 2 and November 13 , departing Victoria Station at 11 : 45 a.m.

Tickets cost # 510 -LRB- $ 833 -RRB- including a five-course lunch with champagne and wine ; +44 845 077 2222

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Murder Mystery Lunch train departs London 's Victoria station for a trip around rural Kent

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Guests get a five-course meal but must also find a murderer in their midst

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There 's a bottle of champagne for the guest who solves the mystery